Hydrophobic oil absorbing polymers and process

Details Hydrophobic oil absorbing polymers and process Hydrophobic oil absorbing polymers and process

2001-11-20

2004-08-03

Page, Thurman K. (Department: 1615)

Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions

Preparations characterized by special physical form

Cosmetic, antiperspirant, dentifrice

C424S070100, C424S078180, C526S064000, C526S304000, C526S328000, C510S475000, C510S522000, C510S476000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06770285

ABSTRACT:

The present invention relates to hydrophobic, oil-absorbing polymeric compositions for transferring oily substances and hydrophobic materials to and from various surfaces in a heterogeneous medium. In particular, the invention is directed to a reversible process for transferring oily substances and hydrophobic materials from various surfaces in a heterogeneous medium using oil-absorbing films, solid particles or dispersions of aqueous emulsion polymers prepared from hydrophobic monomers.
The removal of oils, greases, protein based stains and odors from textiles, fabrics, hard surfaces, skin, pharmaceuticals, animal products, liquids, air and the environment using a single class of polymeric materials is desirable. In addition, the removal or transfer of such materials from surfaces in a heterogeneous medium is also desired. Oil-absorbing polymeric materials are broadly divided into two classes, one class comprising synthetic high-molecular weight polymers and the other class comprising naturally occurring polymeric materials. Examples of the former class of materials are polypropylene, polystyrene, polyurethane foam, polymethyl(meth)acrylate, and polyacrylic acid. Examples of the latter class of materials are pulp fibers, cotton fibers, cellulose, modified celluloses, starches, dextrins and gums. However, materials from both classes have a somewhat narrow range of oil-absorbing efficiencies and/or limited capacities to function as oil-absorbing materials, which is due in part to polymer composition and to the physical form of the material. For example, it is difficult to achieve the physical combination of an oil-absorbing solid suspended in water with an oily substance soaked in to a substrate, such as a fabric, with the result that the oily substance is transferred in the heterogeneous medium to the solid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,578 and European publication EP 0 295 903 disclose a hair preparation comprising a squalene-absorbing, polymeric composition prepared from a vinyl monomer which helps to reduce the greasiness of hair and scalp. However, there remains a need for alternative polymeric materials which have superior oil absorbing properties, both for naturally occurring oils and synthetic oils, and which is effective at removing oily substances from textiles, hard surfaces, oil/water emulsions, multiphasic media and other environments. Moreover, polymeric materials having the ability to absorb oily substances as well as providing a means for transporting them from various surfaces in a heterogeneous medium are still sought. A process using an oil-absorbing polymeric composition for the removal of oils and greases from surfaces would, therefore, be of great utility to the commercial manufacture of detergents, cosmetics, cleaners, personal care products and environmental oil-absorbing materials.
The inventors have discovered, surprisingly, a class of polymer compositions prepared from hydrophobic monomers that facilitate the removal of oily substances and hydrophobic materials in a heterogeneous medium beyond the capability of current oil-absorbing polymer compositions. A hydrophobic, oil-absorbing polymer composition has been discovered that has the ability to absorb at least 20 weight percent of an oily substance or hydrophobic material based on the total weight of the polymeric composition. In adddition, the inventors have discovered reversible processes, using the hydrophobic polymer compositions, for removing, transferring or transporting oily substances and hydrophobic materials from a variety of substrates and surfaces in a heterogeneous medium.
In a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an oil-absorbing polymer composition of Formula 1:
wherein A is a polymerized residue of (meth)acrylic acid; B is a polymerized residue of a monomer selected from one or more C
8
-C
24
alkyl (meth)acrylates; C is a residue of a monomer selected from one or more C
1
-C
24
alkyl (meth)acrylates; and wherein the polymer composition, in the form of solid particles, a film or a dispersion, absorbs at least 20 weight percent of an oily substance or hydrophobic material in a heterogeneous medium based on the total weight of the polymeric composition.
In a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a process for removing an oily substance or hydrophobic material from a surface of a substrate in a heterogeneous medium including the steps of directly contacting the surface of the substrate containing an oily substance with the oil absorbing polymer composition, in the form of solid particles, a film or a dispersion; allowing the polymer composition to absorb the oily substance or hydrophobic material; and removing the swollen oil-containing polymer composition from the medium.
In a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a process for removing an oily substance or hydrophobic material from a substrate in a heterogeneous medium including the steps of combining a substrate containing an oily substance, the oil-absorbing polymer composition in the form of a dispersion and, optionally, a carrier composition or complexation agent to facilitate transport in the medium; allowing the polymer composition to absorb the oily substance or hydrophobic material; and separating the swollen oil-containing polymer composition from the medium.
The oil-absorbing polymer composition usefully employed in accordance with the present invention is prepared from a combination of an ionic monomer and one or more hydrophobic monomers, which results in a polymer composition having the formula:
wherein A is a polymerized residue of (meth)acrylic acid; B is a polymerized residue of a monomer selected from one or more C
8
-C
24
alkyl (meth)acrylates; C is a residue of a monomer selected from one or more C
1
-C
24
alkyl (meth)acrylates. “Polymerized residue” refers to monomer units A, B and C. A, B and C residues are randomly arranged in said polymer. S and T represent initiators and chain transfer residues, respectively. R represents H, CH
3
or an alkyl group. The term “m” represents the total number of A residues and ranges from 1 to 20, preferably 1 to 5, most preferably 1 to 3. The preferred weight percent of monomer units of A ranges from to 0.01 to 5. The term “n” represents the total number of B residues and is >1. The preferred weight percent of monomer units of B ranges from to 5-95, depending on the weight percent of monomer units of C. The term “p” represents the total number of C residues and is >1. The preferred weight percent of monomer units of C ranges from to 5-95, depending on the weight percent of monomer units of B.
The oil-absorbing polymer composition is prepared as a terpolymer although compositions containing more than three monomer residues are contemplated. In a preferred embodiment, the oil-absorbing polymer composition, usefully employed in accordance with the present invention, is a terpolymer, wherein monomer A is a residue of (meth)acrylic acid, monomer B is a residue selected from C
8
-C
20
alkyl (meth)acrylates, and monomer C is residue selected from C
1
-C
24
alkyl (meth)acrylates, S and T represent initiators and chain transfer residues, respectively. In another preferred embodiment, the oil-absorbing polymer composition is a terpolymer, wherein monomer A is a residue of (meth)acrylic acid, monomer B is a residue selected from C
12
-C
20
alkyl (meth)acrylate monomer, and monomer C is methyl (meth)acrylate, S and T represent initiators and chain transfer residues, respectively. The terpolymer is prepared from relatively high levels (as wt %) of hydrophobic monomers and relatively low levels (as wt %) of ionic monomers in the form of (meth)acrylic acid or acrylic acid in a wide range of weight average molecular weight, M
w
. The terpolymer includes from 80% to 98% by weight of a combination of hydrophobic monomers in the form of C
4
-C
24
alkyl (meth)acrylates and from 0.01% to 20% by weight of ionic monomers. Preferably, the terpolymer includes from 90% to 99.99% by weight of a combination of hydrophobic monomers in the form of

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